Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 111

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

111
“Director, did you know the Angels were gathering monsters? The Government approved it?”
“Yes, it’s true. It was on the news, but you must have missed it while inside the Gate. It’s a bill that was rushed through the National Assembly.”
“What kind of bill?”
“A bill to gather monsters hiding throughout the country in one place and render them immobilized. The Angels and Angel Followers proposed it first.”
“Placing too much faith in that entity isn’t a good idea.”
“I agree. However, following the recent Break incidents, civilian casualties from monsters spreading nationwide have been increasing daily. Until now there were no problems, but with the Angels and Followers controlling operations, the number of Hunters available for subjugation missions has dropped sharply.”
In the end, the Angels were the problem.
My taste turned bitter, but I held my tongue since I bore some responsibility—I’d recently brought in vast amounts of land and increased operations. Besides, even if I caused a scene here, I couldn’t capture every Angel across the globe without civilian casualties. No government would let me act freely.
“I’ll go with you.”
I hung up and spoke to Angelus.
“Very well.”
“By the way, did we meet before?”
Since it knew my name, I wondered if this was the Angelus I’d met initially. The Angels all looked identical, like dolls stamped from a factory, making them impossible to distinguish.
“Ah, we are all Angelus. We share memories as well. You may think of us as one.”
“Does that mean you share intentions simultaneously?”
“I apologize. That pertains to our fundamental nature, so it’s somewhat difficult to explain.”
I didn’t know how they shared memories, but if over ten thousand entities exchanged intentions simultaneously without delay, it was a more threatening communication method than any Telepathy skill.
We traveled slowly and reached our destination.
Seo Hyun-tae should have been a real estate agent instead of a pastor. His talent for selling land was remarkable—the land near the Sacred Ground kept expanding until this entire area became private property of the Angel Followers.
Trees from the hillside had been felled and cleared to make space, and behind it stood countless monsters packed tightly together.
The monsters that had followed took their positions and gradually hardened in sequence. It wasn’t frozen in ice like the Blue Dragon would do—it appeared as though the monsters’ time itself had stopped. Their colors faded and they didn’t move an inch, looking just like stone statues.
“Is that also an ability granted by Metatron?”
When I spoke Metatron’s name, Angelus flinched subtly. It seemed displeased that I hadn’t used an honorific.
“That’s correct.”
“Why not just kill them?”
“Though they are called monsters now, they originally had lives. We wish to protect them safely until we find a way.”
Though their selves were stolen by the Destruction God or its subordinates, that Orc visible over there must have once possessed thoughts and feelings like Sono Rim. If we could protect them, it wasn’t a bad idea.
Soldiers surrounded the private property. Even though the Government had permitted monster gathering, I was relieved they weren’t leaving it unattended.
After that, I observed the Angels’ movements for a time. The Angels treated patients and captured wild monsters. Monsters born on Earth or created from transformed wildlife couldn’t be captured, so subjugation missions continued, but as Director Baek Young-shin said, with the Angels gathering monsters, there was far less work for Hunters.
A few weeks after the Angels’ descent, people quickly grew accustomed to them. An implicit distance formed between believers and non-believers, reducing conflicts significantly. Except for the Middle East, which had descended into extremism, coexistence with the Angels was becoming routine.
“Oppa, you still have that premonition?”
Bae Na-young asked, seeing me watching the news with a serious expression.
“Yeah. They can control monsters, right? There’s definitely a connection to the Destruction God. Even the way they harden monsters—the method’s slightly different, but it’s not much different from how the Blue Dragon froze them.”
“What will you do?”
“For now, I’ll just watch….”
I stopped mid-sentence as I looked at the television.

“These bastards….”
I shot to my feet, and Bae Na-young, watching the news broadcast, followed suit.
Tens of thousands had already gathered at the Sacred Ground. Unable to force my way through the crowd by strength alone, I leaped high into the air. Then, using the levitation magic woven into Bae Na-young’s cloak, I descended slowly.
There was a female-form angel I’d never seen before. She wore garments similar to Angelus’s, and held a short staff about fifty centimeters long.
Five female-form angels aimed their staffs at a person in a wheelchair. That person had their hands clasped together and tears streaming down their face—but these were not tears of sorrow or fear. They were tears of relief and anticipation.
“What are you doing?”
“Lee Ji-seok.”
Five Angelus figures turned their heads in unison and spoke simultaneously. Seeing five identical faces pivot toward me at once was deeply unsettling.
“I asked what you’re doing.”
“This person has suffered for a long time. Through the Ascension Ceremony, we are guiding them to the eternal land of rest. They have consented of their own will—is there a problem?”
“Hunter Lee Ji-seok?”
The patient in the center looked at me with confusion.
I questioned whether this “land of rest” even existed, but I couldn’t voice such doubts before tens of thousands of believers.
“Stop.”
“This person has received government authorization for euthanasia. Wouldn’t it be better to depart under our guidance than through medication?”
After the Gate crisis, hospitals became scarce, and euthanasia was legalized. It seemed the government had even authorized euthanasia conducted by angels.
“Hunter Lee Ji-seok, why are you interfering?”
The patient asked, and the believers around us began pressing closer. Their eyes held infinite faith—a faith that bordered on madness.
As I looked around, a familiar face caught my eye.
“Jae-won.”
“Ji-seok.”
Gaunt and emaciated though he was, it was unmistakably Jae-won. He sat in a wheelchair before the believers.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came for the Ascension Ceremony. Terminal cancer. I don’t have much time left.”
“Why didn’t you contact me?”
“You’ve climbed so high. It felt like we weren’t living in the same world anymore.”
“I’m sorry. I should have reached out.”
“Don’t be.”
“So you’re just going to leave like this?”
“What choice do I have?”
“I’ll cure you.”
“It’s spread throughout my entire body. Even an Elixir couldn’t fix it.”
“I’m building a hospital near the World Tree. At least try there before you give up.”
“…. You never even contacted me, and now you’re telling me what to do?”
“I’m sorry. Just give me one more chance, starting now.”
“Leave me alone.”
Whoooosh!
While I spoke with Jae-won, the patient behind us vanished into a burst of light.
“Ascension…. What a joke. You just incinerated them with light attribute magic!”
“The flesh, yes. But that person’s soul will now rest eternally in peace in the land of rest.”
“This one won’t do.”
I placed my hand on Jae-won’s body.
“He came as that person’s doctor.”
“Don’t come any closer.”
“Lee Ji-seok! Leave me alone! I just want to rest now!”
“Bae Na-young, put him to sleep.”
Bae Na-young put Jae-won to sleep without complaint.
“This won’t do.”
One of the Archangelus reached out a hand toward me with startling speed.
I threw a punch with the intent to threaten.
I deliberately threw it slowly, but he didn’t dodge when he saw my fist—instead, he thrust his face forward.
With so much pent up inside me, I no longer held back and threw the punch straight through.
Splat!
His head burst from my light punch. No, it wasn’t that my fist crushed it—his head burst from within at the exact moment my fist made contact.
“What…?”
“Kyaaaaaaah!!! Lee Ji-seok killed an Angel!”
“S…Satan! It’s Satan!”
“To slay God’s messenger! Oh God!”
“Forgive us our sins…”
People screamed at the sight of the headless Angel collapsing. Many of them rushed to seize me. Behind them, I could see Angels standing calmly, smiling.
“Brother!”
Bae Na-young climbed onto my shoulders as I lifted Jae-won into my arms. I bent my legs and leaped upward with explosive speed.
Looking down, the Angels merely watched me, making no attempt to follow.
* * *
“The situation is dire.”
Director Baek Young-shin came to my house. Soldiers had set up camp around it, and beyond them, religious zealots had transformed into a mob, pushing against the military line.
“I apologize.”
I lowered my head.
“I don’t like those bastards either, but given the state of public opinion, could you exercise restraint for a while?”
Director Baek Young-shin lowered his head.
“Yes, I’ll stay near the World Tree.”
“I’m sorry. You’ve always helped us, yet we treat you like this.”
“I should have been more careful. It was my mistake.”
“Please, just for a little while.”
Immediately, my entire family boarded a large helicopter and relocated to the World Tree.
From below the house, the angry crowd hurled filth like rotten eggs at both the soldiers and our home.
“Those bastards…”
Bae Na-young’s eyes glowed violet. It was terrifying how much faith these people had, even facing an S-rank Hunter capable of mass slaughter if she wished.
“Hold it in. Just hold it in.”
As I descended from the helicopter with a heavy heart, a familiar face was waiting to greet me.
“Hong Long.”
“At last I can express my gratitude. Lee Ji-seok, thank you.”
Hong Long and his family bowed their heads.
“Don’t mention it. If there’s anything uncomfortable, just tell me. I’ll help however I can.”
I grasped Hong Long’s shoulder and helped him to his feet.
“And you—if you need anything at all, just say the word.”
“Then, shall we have a sparring match sometime?”
“A sparring match? Anytime.”
After promising Hong Long a sparring session, I headed straight to the Hospital to treat Jae-won.
“Doctor, how is he?”
“The cancer has spread far too extensively. We could attempt chemotherapy, but it would attack healthy tissue as well. His body won’t withstand it.”
“What if we infuse life force while treating him?”
“That’s far too experimental. We have no data on such a procedure.”
“Is there any other option for this friend?”
“…None. All we can do is reduce his pain with morphine.”
“Do it. I’ll take full responsibility.”
Though it went against Jae-won’s wishes, I deemed him incapable of sound judgment due to his condition and sent the surgical and treatment consent forms to his parents. Upon hearing there was a chance to save their son, they approved immediately.
Potent chemotherapy drugs entered his body. The chemotherapy destroyed both cancer cells and healthy cells. Since we were within the World Tree’s sphere of influence, its life force would naturally revive the healthy cells, but I sat beside him and slowly infused even more life force myself.
Normally, healthy cells are given time to recover before administering more chemotherapy, but since he was healing in real-time, I administered it continuously throughout the day without pause.
Jae-won’s complexion improved, and we took another MRI scan.
“… It’s been reduced by half.”
The Doctor examined the MRI images several times in disbelief.
“Can we perform surgery now?”
“In his current state, it’s possible. During the surgery, can you infuse life force as needed?”
“Of course.”
Surgery was scheduled for the next day.
“… I’m not going to die?”
“You’re not dying.”
Jae-won’s tears streamed down his face.
“You don’t even have a religion—why did you go there?”
“Since I was going to die anyway, I wanted to at least go to heaven.”
“How do you know if heaven even exists?”
“There are monsters, and in this other world, demons and angels too—so why wouldn’t heaven exist?”
“When you put it that way, I have nothing to say. But those beings are strange.”
“I know. I only believed because I had no other choice. Just fix me. Let’s have a drink.”
“A sick man drinking—what are you thinking?”
As his pain diminished, Jae-won returned to his usual self. I should have contacted him more often, but my negligence due to being busy weighed heavily on me.
The next day, surgery began.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————